I'm beginning to think that perhaps modern society may have come to the conclusion that the system of voting/government is no longer fit for purpose.
How and what you change it to is a moot point.
The current system is democratic (to a point) and has been arrived through historical development.
I suppose that doesn't actually prove it's the best and it's certainly not the only possible one.
I know when the referendum result was known my first reaction was that it didn't actually resolve or prove anything, either way. The margin was just too small. But, the method meant a majority was just that and so it had been decided!
But, wasn't that referendum legally not binding as I recall, it was a consultation. The politicians then trying to outdo each each other "said" they'd treat it as binding (even if not legally such), then everyone actually believed them!!!!
Now we're surprised that once they realised the implications for themselves they've been trying ever since to change their/our minds. I think they genuinely can't understand the problem, why should they keep this promise out of the many they've never kept in the past - and why are we surprised!
As for voting or not voting I suspect large sections of the population are starting to think that voting has no impact - or is that just an excuse for not taking part in politics.
For many "politics" is about reading the papers, ranting about and then roughly every four years voting.
The reality is that actually engaging in our method of democracy also requires engaging in the political process locally when in between elections, without that we're effectively disenfranchising ourselves and just doing the easy bit - putting a pencil mark on a small piece of paper every few years.
We live in an age where many expect much but apparently don't want to make the required effort.
Extinction Rebellion may well be an example of that. If their support is so widespread how come the green party in the UK is so apparently marginalised.
But then rather than do "the hard work" it's so much easier to stamp a foot and scream and scream....
For most of us old farts we achieved whatever we have in our work lives by (I suspect )of many years slogging away and working hard to progress or build something up bit by bit. It didn't happen overnight and it's rarely through some amazing action. Hard work over time.
I think politics is the same.
For what it's worth my view on the referendum is that it was run on a one vote majority method so has been decided.
Do I think things have changed since then? Hell yes, our politicians have proven that have no ability to actually run the country.
Should we change our minds? I think it's worth considering, it's very easy to break things, much harder to make them.
Back to making that effort again if we want something to work!!
When studying history (not very well) I can recall the argument that the most effective and efficient system of government is a benevolent dictatorship!
